Victorian children are being abused in out-of-home care, as protection workers deal with a big jump in notifications.
There were 64 cases of child abuse substantiated for children under protection in out-of-home care - living with foster carers, in the care of a family member or friend or in a residential care facility - in 2013/14.
Community Services Minister Mary Wooldridge said the government had ramped up its identification of where abuse might be occurring.
"There are thousands of carers in the system who do an amazing job every day, but there are a small number that have unacceptable behaviour and we're dealing with them," Ms Wooldridge told reporters on Thursday.
"We don't want any children abused, particularly by their carers in the out-of-home care system."
Ms Wooldridge said there had been a significant jump of almost 50 per cent in reports to the child protection system since the coalition came to power in 2010, which was driven by an increase in family violence reports.
More than 82,000 reports were made to child protection services about children's safety and wellbeing in 2013/14, according to the Department of Human Services annual report released on Thursday.
Of the 38 child deaths probed by Victoria's child advocate in 2013/14, most of the children were known to child protection authorities.
Sixty one per cent were the subject of child protection investigations or a protection order process at the time of their death, the Commission for Children and Young People says in its annual report.
Ms Wooldridge said government reforms to protect vulnerable children was backed by hundreds of millions of dollars to work early with families to reduce neglect and abuse and to respond to keep children safe.
In 2013/14, the daily average number of children in out-of-home care placements was 7283.
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